1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to biopsy instruments and methods for taking a biopsy. Particularly, this invention relates to a fluid connector and biopsy system including a fluid connector for introducing fluids into a patient during a biopsy procedure.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, it is often necessary to remove multiple tissue samples from a suspicious mass. Prior to removal, the suspicious mass is generally evaluated by taking a biopsy to determine if the mass is malignant or benign. Early diagnosis of various forms of cancer, such as breast cancer for example, may prevent the spread of the disease to other parts of the body.
An exemplary vacuum assisted biopsy apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,638,235. The exemplary biopsy apparatus is a minimally invasive biopsy instrument. Unlike the biopsy apparatus before it, the exemplary apparatus includes a lightweight, pneumatically controlled hand-piece having a non-clogging and non-occluding cutting blade design. A unique tissue collection system is used to aid in capture, location, identification and staging of the biopsy sample, and retains histological and pathological viability of the removed tissue without exposing the medical staff to the patient's body fluids. To facilitate tissue removal, the exemplary biopsy apparatus is also configured to introduce, among other fluids, a saline solution to the surgical site during a biopsy procedure. In one embodiment of the design, the saline solution is contained in a sealed bag that includes a fluid supply line communicating the sealed bag with the cutting portion of the biopsy device. A pinch valve is used to crimp the fluid supply line to selectively interrupt the flow of saline solution to the surgical site.
Although the exemplary biopsy apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,638,235 represents a significant advancement in the field of medical biopsy, the introduction of fluids other than saline solution, such as anesthetics and haemostatic agents, requires that the fluid supply line be “broken” and the secondary fluid injected into the fluid supply line. Among other limitations, breaking the fluid supply line exposes the medical staff to the patient's body fluids. Additionally, breaking the fluid supply line to inject a second fluid adds additional time to the biopsy procedure. Therefore, a need exists for an improved biopsy system that incorporates the advancements of the exemplary biopsy apparatus described above into a fully sealed and efficiently operated biopsy system.